MK14

For the firearm called Mk 14, see Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle.
Microcomputer Kit 14

MK14 (foreground) with modern reproductions behind
Also known as MK14
Manufacturer Science of Cambridge
Type computer kit
Release date 1977 (1977)[1]
Introductory price UK£39.95
Units sold 50,000
CPU National Semiconductor SC/MP (INS8060)
Memory 256 bytes of RAM (expandable to 640 bytes)
Display 8 or 9 red light-emitting diode (LED) seven segment display
Input 20 key keyboard

The Microcomputer Kit 14, or MK14 was a computer kit sold by Science of Cambridge of the United Kingdom, first introduced in 1977 for UK£39.95,[1] and which eventually sold over 50,000 units.

It used a National Semiconductor SC/MP CPU (INS8060), 128 (expandable to 256) bytes of random access memory (RAM) which was directly expandable to 640 bytes on board and 2170 bytes total. It used an 8 or 9 red light-emitting diode (LED) seven segment display, there was also optional VDU supporting 32×16 text or 64×64 graphics. Input and output was a 20 key keyboard and reset switch, with an optional 128 bytes of RAM and 16 I/O lines available by adding an INS8154N RAM/IO chip. Cassette-based and PROM storage were optional extras, a sound card was not included but a design for one was provided.

The MK14 could address up to 64 KB of memory space by adding a few chips (the NADS address strobe indicated when the most significant 4 bits of address were available to be captured by an external latch); many pioneering home-brew computer magazines such as Personal Computer World, and Practical Electronics carried details of user modifications.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Planet Sinclair - Practical Electronics, May 1979

See also

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